New ergonomic workstation with assisted movement for hairdressers

ABSTRACT

The new ergonomic workstation for hairdressers allows the hairdressers to operate comfortably while sitting, standing or with half-bent knees, avoiding potentially harmful positions for the musculoskeletal system. It has a bicycle saddle-type seat with adjustable height attached to a backrest with armrests, and a rotation element surrounding the base of the customer&#39;s seat, allowing the hairdresser to reach different work areas. It has means for regulating the height of the backrest assembly by a lifting system, such as a gas piston that is extended in its natural position, thus reducing the postural load of the hairdresser, which means is actuated when the hairdresser presses down on the backrest without using their hands. It has at least one rolling support that improves the stability of the structure. It is intended for the industrial sector dedicated to the construction of chairs and workstations.

SECTOR OF THE TECHNIQUE

This invention is intended for the professional furniture industry, more specifically, the industrial sector dedicated to the construction of workstations and chairs.

BACKGROUND

There are systems nowadays to facilitate the work of certain professionals such as hairdressers who, because of the nature of their work, have to spend long periods of time making movements and adopting postures which are potentially harmful for their musculoskeletal systems, a large number of individuals developing problems caused by these movements and postures. So patents are known such as the Japanese JP2006345879 with the title Work Assisting Device which describes a device suspended from the ceiling rigidly joined to a harness which comprises a chair in which the worker is placed, with conventional means such as a belt for attaching the worker firmly to the chair. The invention described in that patent requires a complex installation including the need for a structure for fixing to the ceiling and clearly restricts the work of the operator because of its complexity, so being different from the invention being put forward.

The utility model CN87204900U with the title Barber's working chair describes a barber's chair in which the latter sits on a support element for the buttocks and another for shin support, as well as a complicated system of rails enabling circular movement around the client's chair. These rails also hamper adequate cleaning of the chair and rails, because it is widely known that during a haircut, the floor becomes covered with hair. Again, this system is very complicated, at the same time being difficult to implement mechanically because of its high cost, and also gives the hairdresser little room for manoeuvre, so making it impractical. With this invention, the user of the chair must necessarily work sitting down, which hampers and even impedes his or her work, because certain techniques require the worker to be standing up to perform them.

Therefore, inventions like this one are not known.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

To provide workers such as those in the hairdressing and beauty sectors, among others, who, because of the nature of their activity, must, during the course of their work, remain in positions potentially harmful to the musculoskeletal system with a work station which enables them to work comfortably in both sitting and standing positions or with bent knees, reducing the postural stress associated with these jobs. So this invention should provide an easily implemented technical solution avoiding the complicated devices and installations known in the state of the technique, while giving the user of the device freedom of movement, leaving him or her free of ties and fastenings while allowing work positions in sitting, bended knee and standing positions. It is also important to offer a solution which enables the hairdresser's mobility and improves his or her postural comfort without use of his or hands being required, as this would restrict the hairdresser's work.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Because the invention must allow for hairdressers' different body sizes and natural positions for efficient work, it has means for adjusting the optimum height of the work plane and reachable areas in the horizontal plane, also enabling fluent turning movement around the client. In this way, this new workstation enables the hairdresser to work in optimum conditions of comfort. It has a saddle-like seat like those used in bicycles, so that, as well as being able to sit on it, the hairdresser can also stand without the seat preventing this position, and use it as additional support if he or she requires. The invention also has a backrest with armrests which can be height-adjusted by conventional means. The fact that a saddle-type seat is used gives the hairdresser's legs an amount of freedom not offered by a conventional chair.

Regulation of the hairdresser's height to adjust the work zone in relation to the client's head is carried out by the structure or frame of the invention having means such as a conventional lifting system such as a piston to raise or lower the seat. The natural position of this piston is extended, so it tends to elongate when the pressure exercised by the hairdresser is less than the force of the piston, so that when the hairdresser wants to raise his or her position, the piston's force will help this movement, lightening the muscular effort made without the action of the piston. To match the piston's force to the hairdresser's weight, versions in which the piston is adjustable are envisaged. The backrest can be slightly tilted and has conventional means for activating the piston valve such as an activation system consisting of a lever system like that used in an office chair with lift cylinder. So, in relation to what has been described, when the hairdresser wishes to lower his or her position, he will lean on the backrest which will tilt, activating the piston valve and enabling the seat and backrest to descend. It must be stressed that by acting on the piston drive in this way, the hairdresser does not use his or her hands, enabling him to work unhampered by operations which would complicate it or slow him down.

The seat and backrest are integrated in a frame which is preferably tubular. This frame has a side elevation with quasi-orthogonal geometry, where in the vertical part the hairdresser's seat and backrest are fixed and in the horizontal part, parallel to the floor, is the point of anchorage and turning about the client's chair. The length of the horizontal part can be adjusted to suit the hairdresser's work position using known methods such as a system of concentric telescopic rods or the sliding of a tubular system using linear bearings. The free far end of the horizontal part of the frame will be fixed to a turning element surrounding the base of the client's chair, so enabling the frame, and so the worker's station, to enable the hairdresser to work comfortably in his or her natural workspace. The hairdresser will turn the structure about the client's chair manually, no additional mechanical action being necessary.

The horizontal part of the frame has at least one rolling element in contact with the floor giving support to the assembly and making it sturdier and more stable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For ease of understanding of everything described in this report, drawings are included in which a list of figures of the proposed invention are represented by way of example.

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of the workstation in which the following can be seen:

-   -   1. Customer's chair     -   2. Base of the customer's chair     -   3. Turning element     -   10. Seat     -   11. Backrest

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the workstation at its position of maximum height, with the hairdresser standing.

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation of the workstation in which the hairdresser is in a position with his legs half bent, in which the following can be seen:

-   -   7. Rolling support     -   8. Lift system     -   9. Lift system activation system

FIG. 4 shows a side elevation of the workstation with the telescopic tubular structure (6) extended, where the anchorage (5) can also be seen. The workstation has moved away from the client's chair with the seat/backrest assembly at its lowest position.

FIG. 5 shows a side elevation of the workstation with the telescopic tubular structure (6) withdrawn and the seat/backrest assembly at its highest position.

FIG. 6 shows a side elevation of the workstation in which the hairdresser is leaning against the backrest activating the lift system's actuation system (9).

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL EMBODIMENT

By way of example, a preferred embodiment of the invention is described, in which the materials used for its manufacture and methods of application and any ancillary details arising which do not affect the essence of the invention are unrelated to its object.

A preferred embodiment of the new ergonomic workstation with assisted movement for hairdressers is proposed with a saddle-type seat (10) and supporting backrest with armrests (11) joined to a vertical section of a frame (4), the side elevation of which has a right-angled geometry and the horizontal portion parallel to the floor of which is fixed at its free end to a turning element (3) with an anchorage (5) which has a conventional torque between the two elements. The turning element surrounds the base (2) of the client's chair (1) and is fixed to it by conventional means such as a screwed clamp joint.

The length of the horizontal section of the frame can be changed to adjust the hairdresser's work position by conventional means such as use of a telescopic tubular structure (6) with concentric rods.

The height of the seat/backrest assembly is adjusted with a conventional lift system (8) such as a gas piston, located in the vertical part of the frame under the seat, which is in its natural extended position when its valve is not operated and so tends to elongate when the pressure exercised by the hairdresser is less than the force of the piston. When the hairdresser wants to lower his position, he activates the piston valve by making a movement to tilt the backrest, which orders activation of the valve through an activation system (9) consisting of a set of levers which join the backrest to the piston actuation valve, producing the consequent descent of the seat/backrest assembly.

It has at least one rolling support (7) as a caster wheel located in the horizontal section of the frame. 

1. New ergonomic workstation with assisted movement for hairdressers characterised in that enabling adjustment of the hairdressing worker's workspace, both in its vertical dimension and in his horizontal reach, enabling the hairdresser to work sitting down, with bent knees or standing up; for this purpose it has a saddle-type seat (10) and a supporting backrest with armrests (11), both joined to a vertical section of a frame (4) the side elevation of which has a geometry comprising a near right angle and the horizontal part parallel to the floor of which is fixed at its free for and to a turning element (3) with an anchoring element (5) with a conventional torque between them; the turning element surrounds the base (2) of the client's chair (1) and is fixed by conventional means such as a screwed clamp joint; the length of the horizontal section of the frame can be changed according to the hairdresser's requirements by conventional means such as use of a telescopic tubular structure (6) of concentric rods; the height of the seat and backrest is adjusted by a conventional lift system (8) such as a gas piston located in the vertical part of the frame under the seat, which is in its natural extended position when its valve is not operated, the latter being activated when the hairdresser makes a slight movement to tilt the backrest, use of his hands therefore being unnecessary, this action ordering activation of the piston and the consequent descent of the seat/backrest assembly through an activation system (9) consisting of a set of levers; it has at least one caster wheel as a rolling support (7) located in the horizontal section of the frame (4). 